ose of French Wars, 1763.]

But he was unwilling to own himself defeated while the French flag waved
over a foot of American ground. This clever Indian, needing supplies to
carry on his war, used civilized methods to get them on credit. He gave
promissory notes written on birch bark, signed with his own totem, or
tribe-mark--a picture of the otter. These notes were faithfully paid.

When he saw his struggle becoming hopeless eastward, he drew off to the
Illinois settlements to fight back the English from taking possession of
Fort Chartres, the last French post. They might come up the Mississippi
from New Orleans, or they might come down the Ohio. The Iroquois had
always called the Mississippi the Ohio, considering that river which
rose near their own country the great river, and the northern branch
merely a tributary.

Pontiac ordered the Illinois Indians to take up arms and stand by him.

"Hesitate not," he said, "or I will destroy you as fire does the prairie
grass! These are the words of Pontiac."

They obeyed him. He sent more messengers down as far as New Orleans,
keeping the tribes stirred against the English. He camped with his
forces around Fort Chartres, cherishing it and urging the last French
commandant, St. Ange de Bellerive, to take up arms with him, until that
poor captain, tormented by the savage mob, and only holding the place
until its English owners received it, was ready to march out with his
few soldiers and abandon it.

It is told that while Pontiac was leading his forlorn hope, he made his
conquerors ridiculous. Major Loftus with a detachment of troops came up
the Mississippi to take possession according to treaty. Pontiac turned
him back. Captain Pittman came up the river. Pontiac turned him back.
Captain Morris started from Detroit, and Pontiac squatted defiantly in
his way. Lieutenant Frazer descended the Ohio. Pontiac caught him and
shipped him to New Orleans by canoe. Captain Croghan was also stopped
near Detroit. Both French and Spanish people roared with laughter at
the many failures of the coming race to seize what had so easily been
obtained by treaty.

Two years and a half passed between Pontiac's attack on Detroit and
the formal surrender of Fort Chartres. The great war chief's heart, with
a gradual breaking, finally yielded before the steadily advancing and
all-conquering people that were to dominate this continent.

The second day of winter, late in the afternoon, Pontiac went